The guys is almost 80 73, he’s an old man.
He’s been very successful in his tenure, carried out great anti-corruption campaigns, overseen a pivot to green energy, helmed China as it has retaken its place in the sun.
At the same time there’s a lot of foreign policy stuff that leaves some wanting. There’s still cliques of liberals (as far as I understand, which is very little, which is why I ask) that are working towards something very different (I hear Shanghai is really bad?) not to mention some impending economic doom, according to some China posters here.
Whatever the case is, Xi has been monumental and at the forefront of a great wave of change. One must Imagine he has planned for his retirement, moved things around to ensure some of His Guys are in good positions to take over.
Or maybe not?
So what happens when he goes away? Who is likely to take his spot? What will happen on the world stage?
The USSR was a massive success story. I wish people wouldn’t focus so much on its end. Nothing lasts forever and the USSR was the most important socialist project thus far in history. Look at the world today. Do you not see the shadow of the USSR? Had the USSR not been around the US would have reshaped the entire world. The regions where the USSR managed to keep it at bay are now the very regions the US’s empire is beginning to fall apart. Yes, what happened in 1991 was a tragedy, but that does not take away what it did prior to that. In less than a century the USSR stopped Nazi Germany, put the first man in space, acted as counterbalance to prevent complete and total US hegemony over the world, sheltered multiple socialist projects in their infancy, and so much more. It burned bright and quickly but its effect on history will be felt until the very end of mankind.
Will China last 200 more years? 500? Who can say? But I can confidently say that its impact on history will survive.
This is a much better way to look at it. I appreciate the perspective, comrade.